


Map-Reading

by elsewherewolf



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Community: pacificrimkink, Fluff, M/M, Prompt Fill, Tattoos, tiniest bit of angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-22
Updated: 2013-08-22
Packaged: 2017-12-24 08:18:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 773
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/937708
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/elsewherewolf/pseuds/elsewherewolf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Raleigh's mapping out just a few points of Herc's life using the tattoos on his body as a guide.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Map-Reading

**Author's Note:**

  * For [menel](https://archiveofourown.org/users/menel/gifts).



Herc could get used to waking up this way, Raleigh's chin on his chest and blue eyes watching him with an intensity that by rights should be alarming but here and now, is making anticipation curl in his fingers. "Hey," he says, moving his leg to feel a delicious kind of ache start in his thigh. Yeah, he knew this morning was probably going to hurt. Finally falling into bed with Raleigh, he decides, was definitely one of his better decisions. 

"Morning," Raleigh almost purrs, digging his fists into the pillow either side of Herc's head to pull himself up. It's not the sweetest of kisses - Raleigh's mouth tastes sort of sour with Herc's sweat and oh, yeah. That too.

Herc grins against Raleigh's lips and reaches to thread his fingers into dirty blond hair, pull him off. "Go brush your teeth."

"Yes, sir." 

Watching Raleigh's ass as he crosses the room, Herc folds his hands behind his head and waits. There was a point, maybe a few points last night when he almost called it off because he's not a young man any more and Raleigh's - hell, Raleigh's just a thing of beauty. But then the kid just looked at him, same way he was a minute ago, and Herc forgot about every one of his reservations, abandoned inhibition and holy shit. Wild ride.

Raleigh jumps back on the bed, straddles Herc's hips and bends to kiss him again, fresher now. "Yeah, you know you taste pretty gross too?" Herc's about to protest, but Raleigh sucks at his jaw and all that comes out of his mouth is a groan. 

"What does this mean?"

"Huh?" 

Raleigh's tracing words on Herc's left bicep, his touch so light that Herc feels it down to his bones. He knows every tattoo on his body, he knows which one Raleigh's asking about. Swallowing, he curves his hand low on Raleigh's back, holding him steady, still.

" _Si vis pacem, para bellum_. If you want peace, prepare for war. _Igitur qui desiderat pacem, praeparet bellum_ was a little too long."

Raleigh repeats the phrase in a whisper, leans over Herc to kiss the tattoo, and it's soft and reverent and Herc blinks at it, remembering the day he had the words inked into his skin. After the second Kaiju attack, when the world realised that there would be more of these things, that they would have to get smart because there was a war coming and it was one they couldn't afford to lose.

Leaning back again, Raleigh's fingertips ghost across Herc's skin, coming to rest just below his right clavicle. Herc knows that one, as well. "What are you doing?"

"Map reading. Tell me."

"My squadron. Active since before world war two, mostly destroyed when Scissure attacked Sydney." Herc's always been proud to be a part of a squadron that had history, but these days, yeah, that pride is edged with grief at such loss, pretty much like the rest of his life. "Next?"

Raleigh's lips press to his skin, and he shivers, waiting.

"This one's easy."

"Yeah, that's for Striker. Chuck-" The name, Herc still can't even say his son's name without a taste like ashes in his mouth. 

"He had one the same," Raleigh recalls, and Herc nods, turns his head on the pillow. "One of a kind," Raleigh murmurs, and Herc isn't sure whether he means Striker or Chuck, doesn't ask. "What's this?" Questing fingers have found the smallest of Herc's tattoos, and Raleigh circles it with his thumb. Herc closes his eyes, managing a small smile.

"Another milestone. Me and a mate, my eighteenth. My old man would have beat the shit out of me if he'd seen it."

"You don't talk about him much."

"Not much to tell. I didn't know him that well." Herc looks up at Raleigh then, almost says something more but thinks better of it.

"You had the drift," Raleigh points out, like he knows exactly what Herc's thinking anyway. "That's literally the tiniest bear I've ever seen." Oh, yeah. The tattoo.

"Don't laugh-"

"I won't." Raleigh's still tracing a circle around the bear, quiet and warm.

"My totem. Like a... Spirit guide. It means strength, being grounded and having courage in the face of whatever gets thrown at me."

"Suits you," Raleigh says, and kisses the edge of his own thumb, pressing it to the tattoo. "I think you should get another one."

"Yeah?"

"With me. I want to be the next point on your map."

Herc brings his hand around from Raleigh's back, reaches up to touch his jaw, and shakes his head. "You already are."

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm still working on a monster Herc/Raleigh fic, just wrote this in the background to add to the Herc/Raleigh tag. ;) Written in around an hour because I couldn't pass up the prompt which was of a lover being interested in Herc's tattoos. For menel, simply for being such an awesome cheerleader and helping me to remember that the people are the best thing about being involved in fandoms. :)


End file.
